STANLEY CUP FINALS PREVIEW

So it has all come to this. Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers are 4 wins away from the Stanley Cup. Each team disposed thier opponents in the Conference Finals much easier than I thought they would, so hopefully we can get a good series out of the Final. Since we've been through the relative strengths and weaknesses of these teams repeatedly, I figured some key matchups that I'm watching for would work as a better preview.

Dustin Byfuglien vs. Chris Pronger

Big Buff has had a great playoff, and a dominating performance against the Sharks in the last round. He will face a lot of Chris Pronger in this series, and it should be a great matchup. Big Buff is shorter but has a lot more meat on his bones than Pronger does, but Pronger has made his living being a tough son of a bitch for the past decade. I expect an epic battle, with lots of hits/punches/cheapshots thrown. I have a hard time picking against Pronger because he has shown many times in the past that he can take on anyone. I think Big Buff will have a good game or two, but this matchup is going to be pretty even in my opinion. No matter what, it will be a joy to watch.

Chicago Secondary Scoring vs. Philly Defense

Chicago has their two young guns in Patty Kane and Johnathon Toews, but a key will be how the secondary scoring of the Hawks performs. I have no doubt that Kane and Toews will get points, but the key for Philly will be to try to shut everyone else down. I expect Marian Hossa, Pat Sharp and Kris Versteeg to provide quality scoring depth, turning the tide of the series. Philly has a talented defense with Pronger, Kimo Timonen and Brayden Coburn, but I think that the Hawks will be able to have enough depth to take this one.

Dave Bolland's Line vs. Philly's First Line

Dave Bolland and his line have provided the shutdown line to put out against other teams top lines. That line shut down the Sedins in the 2nd round and the Marleau-Thornton-Heatley line in the last round. It will be key for Philly, if they want to win, to be able to break through with their first line and score some goals. If not, then Philly will have to rely on its gritty but less skilled forwards to carry the load of offense.

Chicago's Defense vs. Philly's Forecheck

The Flyers have advanced to the Finals by forechecking the hell out of teams, and using their effort and drive to create scoring chances. The Hawks have a better defense than anyone Philly has faced, so it will be interesting to see if they can continue working in the same manner. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are arguably the best D-pairing in the NHL, and are extremely efficient at getting the puck out of the zone and start the rush. They have shown a willingness to take the body, but I think that the Flyers are going to be able to do some damage against the bottom two pairs, which are more susceptible to a strong forecheck.

Annti Niemi vs. Michael Leighton

Of course, the Final will depend on the pay of the two goaltenders. Michael Leighton has been playing out of his mind since coming back after Brian Boucher was injured. Whether he will be able to keep that up against the Hawks is one of the biggest question marks of the series. Montreal was pretty much shut down by the Flyers' rough and tumble defense, but Chicago won't be so easily shut down. If Chicago can get a lot of rubber on net, I'm interested to see how Leighton responds. Niemi has been very solid during these playoffs, and I don't see that changing. The Hawks don't generally give up a lot of shots and quality chances, so Niemi is just going to have to make the saves he's supposed, and provide timely saves.

BOLT PICK: Hawks 4-1

Going into the playoffs, I was of the opinion that whoever came out of the West was going to win it all, and that hasn't changed. While the Flyers have played extremely well during these playoffs, they have not had to face an opponent nearly as good as the Hawks. The Hawks are a great team, and just rolled the best time in the regular season in 4 games. I think that Michael Leighton will come down to earth and that the Hawk secondary scoring will wreak havoc on the Flyer defense.

-THE-A-TRAIN-